An interdisciplinary overview of major themes and attitudes regarding death and dying in North America. Topics include the Death System, cultural, spiritual, and ethical issues, ageism, funerals, palliative care, specific populations, popular culture, and the arts as they relate to death, and philosophical questions that surround death and meaning.

Antirequisite(s):The former Thanatology 101, and the former Humanities 101E.

Interdisciplinary overview of palliative care philosophy and its implementation. Topics include response to terminal/chronic illness, distinction between palliative care and traditional medical models, pain and symptom control, the team approach, site of care, communication issues, and psychological and spiritual needs of dying patients and their families.

A study of bereavement and grief, with a review of topics such as attachment theory, the normal course of grief, current research and trends in bereavement theory and interventions, factors influencing the grief response, and specific types of loss and specific populations and grief.

An examination of children’s understanding of death, the dying child, children and funerals, specific ages and interventions for the grieving child, the family system and death, and death and trauma in children.

A study of suicide with emphasis on North American culture. Topics will include the epidemiology of suicide and current research on suicide, suicide across the life span, theories about suicide, suicide prevention, intervention, and grief after a suicide.

Exploration of adjustment to change, transition, and loss from the perspective of bereavement theory and research. Concepts relevant to losses which are not associated with death, but which are associated with grief and adjustment issues, such as aging, chronic illness, adoption, relationship dissolution, and immigration will be explored.

Exploration of how portrayals of social norms for death, dying and bereavement are presented in popular culture and how these portrayals reflect and affect social policy, social norms, and contemporary thinking about death-related issues. Death-related themes will be examined in film media, contemporary writing, television and mass-media markets, music, art, and the internet.

Students will have an opportunity to become familiar with critical theory concepts as they relate to Thanatology, examine the underpinnings of critical theory, and explore topics such as social class structure, social and political institutions, and social policy relevant to Thanatology.

Overview of various philosophical, spiritual, and religious understandings of death. Topics will include the search for meaning, philosophical and existential understandings of death, socialization and culture in value formation, suffering, hope, and transcendence as they apply to death, dying, and bereavement.

Designed to integrate current research in bereavement with appropriate counselling interventions for various types of losses, and with various populations. Topics include an overview of various counselling theories, review of bereavement theories and research, interventions with grieving families, complicated and traumatic grief, and self-care for professional caregivers.

Thanatology3322A/B -
Diversity and Social Justice Issues in Thanatology

Exploration of how access to resources, oppression, economic factors, culture, and ethnicity affects aspects of death, dying, and grief. Students will be encouraged to evaluate social influences, explore various aspects of cultural competence, and develop an appreciation of diversity in the context of Thanatology-related themes.

An exploration of the intersection between grief, loss, and trauma in a variety of contexts. Theories of grief and trauma intervention will be applied to the role of first responders, death notification, traumatic response teams, unique features of sudden loss, and implications for treatment of survivors in various populations, as well as professional caregiver issues.

Overview of ethical issues pertinent to end of life and bereavement aftercare. Exploration of various theoretical frameworks and specific relevant topics such as euthanasia, assisted suicide, informed choice and decision-making capacity, patient rights, research ethics, medical futility, resource allocation, and quality of life issues.

Students will be exposed to various care providers in the community that work with individuals and families facing death and experiencing grief after a loss. Focus will be on integration of theoretical knowledge with clinical application. Students with a clinical focus and background will be given priority.

Students will review Thanatology research literature to become familiar with the most common measures utilized, explore conditions of study that are more appropriate for quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods methodology. Recent Thanatology research that is controversial or notable in its contribution to the field will be discussed.

Antirequisite(s):

Prerequisite(s):Interdisciplinary Studies 3310F/G, and registration in 3rd or 4th year of an Honors Double Major in Thanatology.

This course will build on knowledge developed in Thanatology 4401F/G, allowing students the opportunity to develop their own design and methodology in a Thanatology related context, and gain experience in the implementation of a research design, along with the reporting and documentation of findings.

Antirequisite(s):

Prerequisite(s):Thanatology 4401F/G and registration in 3rd or 4th year of an Honors Double Major in Thanatology.